Jim Keltner

James Lee Keltner (born April 27, 1942) is an American drummer and percussionist known primarily for his session work. He was characterized by Bob Dylan biographer Howard Sounes as "the leading session drummer in America". Howard Sounes. ''Down the Highway: The Life of Bob Dylan'' Doubleday. 2001 p329.

Career

Keltner was inspired to start playing because of an interest in jazz, but the popularity of jazz was declining during the late 1950s and early 1960s, and it was the explosion of pop/rock in the mid-1960s that enabled him to break into recording work in Los Angeles. His first gig as a session musician was recording " She's Just My Style" for the pop group Gary Lewis and the Playboys.

Keltner's music career was hardly paying a living, and for several years at the outset he was supported by his wife. Toward the end of the 1960s, he finally began getting regular session work and eventually became one of the busiest drummers in Los Angeles. His earliest credited performances on record were with Gabor Szabo on the 1968 album '' Bacchanal''.

In 1968, Keltner was also working in a music shop in Pasadena just down the street from the old Ice House coffeehouse when he was recruited to play drums in a "psychedelic" vocal group named "MC Squared" along with Michael Crowley, Michael Clough, Linda Carey—all from the folk group The Back Porch Majority—and session guitarist/bassist Randy Cierley Sterling. They were signed by Mo Ostin and recorded an album for Warner/Reprise originally titled "MC Squared" which has later been re-mastered and re-released in 2012 with the album title "Tantalizing Colors." They appeared live that same year on the Hugh Hefner / ''Playboy'' Magazine television show '' Playboy After Dark'', playing two songs: an original by MC Squared members Michael Clough and Michael Crowley titled "I Know You" and a version of the Fred Neil song " Everybody's Talkin'". Both Playboy After Dark performances with Keltner playing drums can currently be viewed on YouTube.

It was his work with Leon Russell playing on Delaney & Bonnie's '' Accept No Substitute'' that attracted the attention of Joe Cocker, who recruited Russell and everyone else he could out of the Delaney & Bonnie band for his '' Mad Dogs & Englishmen'' tour. Playing with Joe Cocker led to work in 1970 and 1971, on records by Carly Simon (''No Secrets''), Barbra Streisand ('' Barbra Joan Streisand''), Booker T. Jones (''Booker T. & Priscilla''), George Harrison ('' The Concert for Bangladesh'') and John Lennon ('' Imagine'').

Former Beatles

Keltner is known for his session work on solo recordings by three members of the Beatles, working with George Harrison, John Lennon (including Lennon solo albums, as well as albums released both by the Plastic Ono Band and Yoko Ono), and Ringo Starr.

Keltner played on many former Beatle solo releases, including Harrison's 1973 album '' Living in the Material World'' and Lennon's 1974 album '' Walls and Bridges''. When Ringo Starr recorded his first full-fledged pop album, '' Ringo'', Keltner was featured on five tracks. Following this, Keltner joined George Harrison on his 1974 tour of the United States.

In 1974, Keltner played on the Lennon-produced Harry Nilsson album '' Pussy Cats'' alongside Ringo (and Keith Moon) on "Rock Around the Clock". Keltner was featured on the Nilsson albums '' Son of Schmilsson'' with Harrison, Starr and Beatles associate Klaus Voormann as well as '' Duit on Mon Dei'' with Starr and Voormann.

Keltner's relationship with the former Beatles was such that, in 1973, his name was used to mock Paul McCartney on albums released by Harrison and Starr. Early that year, McCartney, the only Beatle not to have worked with Keltner, included a note on the back cover of his ''Red Rose Speedway'' album, encouraging fans to join the " Wings Fun Club" by sending a "stamped addressed envelope" to an address in London. Later that year, both Harrison's '' Living in the Material World'' and Starr's '' Ringo'' contained a similar note encouraging fans to join the "Jim Keltner Fan Club" by sending a "stamped undressed elephant" to an address in Hollywood. Keltner performed with George Harrison throughout his solo career. He even worked on Harrison's final posthumous album Brainwashed.

Keltner played the role of the judge in the music video for George Harrison's 1976 Top 30 hit, " This Song".

In 1989, Keltner toured with Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band.

Equipment

Keltner is an endorser of DW drums, hardware and pedals, Ahead drumsticks/gloves/griptape, Paiste Cymbals, Remo drumheads and world percussion and Roland electronics.

Little Village

In 1987, Keltner, along with guitarist Ry Cooder and bassist Nick Lowe, played on John Hiatt's '' Bring the Family''. Four years later the four musicians reunited as the band Little Village, recording an eponymous album.

Traveling Wilburys

Keltner played drums on both albums released by the 1980s supergroup the Traveling Wilburys, playing under the pseudonym "Buster Sidebury".

Ry Cooder

Keltner became Ry Cooder's go-to drummer, recording with him on many of his albums for over 40 years, including the following, as well as playing with him in Little Village.

*'' Boomer's Story'' (1972)
*'' Paradise and Lunch'' (1974)
*'' Chicken Skin Music'' (1976)
*'' Bop till You Drop'' (1979)
*'' Borderline'' (1980)
*'' The Slide Area'' (1982)
*'' Get Rhythm'' (1987)
*'' Chávez Ravine'' (2005)
*'' My Name Is Buddy'' (2007)
*'' I, Flathead'' (2008)
*'' Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down'' (2011)

List of artists

Keltner, as a freelance drummer, has worked with a long list of artists.

1970s

Jim Keltner recorded two albums with his band Attitudes for George Harrison's Dark Horse label. The band also included Danny Kortchmar, David Foster and Paul Stallworth, and recorded ''Attitudes'' in 1975 and ''Good News'' in 1977.

He is featured on Carly Simon's 1971 album, '' Anticipation''.

He played on various tracks on Randy Newman's albums '' Sail Away'' and '' Little Criminals'', including " You Can Leave Your Hat On", " Short People", and "Jolly Coppers On Parade".

He also played drums on the Bee Gees 1973 album ''Life in a Tin Can''.

He played on five songs on Jackson Browne's ''For Everyman'' album recorded in 1973 including the song "These Days."

In 1973, he was the session drummer on Bob Dylan's '' Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid'', which includes the hit " Knockin' on Heaven's Door". He described that session as "a monumental session for me because it was such a touching song, it was the first time I actually cried when I was playing".

In 1974, he played on most tracks on the Jack Bruce album '' Out of the Storm''.

Other demonstrations of his style and range can be found in " Jealous Guy" from John Lennon's ''Imagine'', " Watching the River Flow" by Bob Dylan, and the hit single " Dream Weaver" by Gary Wright.

Keltner contributed to Joe Yamanaka's 1977 album ''To the New World''.

Keltner is the drummer on the Steely Dan tune " Josie" (released in 1977). In the DVD ''Steely Dan - Classic Albums: Aja'', Donald Fagen states that in the bridge of the tune, Keltner overdubbed a 16th note based pattern played on a metal trash can lid.

Keltner appeared in the 1979 film " Old Boyfriends" playing drums as a 'Bloodshot Band' member.

Keltner is credited as the drummer on the 1979 album by Roy Clark and Gatemouth Brown, ''Makin' Music''.

Keltner appears on Marc Jordan's 1979 album "Blue Desert" on tracks "Twilight" and "Lost in The Hurrah".

1980s

Keltner specialized in R&B, and developed a deceptively simple drumming style that melds a casual, loose feel with extraordinary precision. He is said to have influenced Jeff Porcaro and Danny Seraphine of Chicago.

Keltner played on the '' Saved'' and '' Shot of Love'' albums by Bob Dylan.

Keltner performed on many classic recordings by J. J. Cale and often worked with bassist Tim Drummond.

He played on most of the tracks on Roy Orbison's swansong '' Mystery Girl''.

He played on four Richard Thompson albums: '' Daring Adventures'' (1986), ''Amnesia'' (1988), '' Rumor and Sigh'' (1991) and '' you? me? us?'' (1996).

Keltner played drums on the song " Now We're Getting Somewhere" from the hit album ''Crowded House'' (1986).

Also, he was a session drummer for the reunited Pink Floyd on the album '' A Momentary Lapse of Reason''.

1990s

In the mid-1990s, Keltner joined the London Metropolitan Orchestra on its recording of "An American Symphony" on the movie soundtrack for '' Mr Holland's Opus''.

In 1992, he played (together with Booker T. & the M.G.'s) at Bob Dylan's The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration.

In 1993, he toured with Neil Young and Booker T. & the M.G.'s.

He played on Brian Wilson's 1995 album, '' I Just Wasn't Made for These Times''.

He guested on Sheryl Crow's 1996 self-titled album, on the track "The Book".

He played on Gillian Welch's album '' Revival'', on the track "The Only One and Only".

Keltner played on the 1997 Bill Frisell album '' Gone, Just Like a Train'' with Viktor Krauss and toured as a member of the trio in support of the album. He also played on the 1999 Frisell album '' Good Dog, Happy Man'' and is pictured in the CD leaflet and back cover (Nonesuch 79536-2).

In 1999, he played on Fiona Apple's album '' When the Pawn...'' on the track "I Know."

2000s

In 2000, Keltner toured with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young on their "Tour of America".

In 2000, he was the drummer on Neil Young's album ''Silver & Gold''.

In 2000, Keltner collaborated with Charlie Watts, drummer of the Rolling Stones, on an instrumental album entitled ''The Charlie Watts–Jim Keltner Project''. Watts played drums for each track, while Keltner contributed sequenced sounds and percussion. Tracks were named after famous drummers.

In 2002, he briefly joined Bob Dylan's band during the European gigs while its main drummer, George Receli, recuperated from a hand injury. Later in the year, Keltner played in Concert For George, a tribute to George Harrison a year following his death. Wearing a sweatshirt with a Bob Dylan logo, he reprised his role as the Wilburys' drummer, joining Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne for " Handle with Care." During that project and performance, he worked with Paul McCartney along with other percussionists, including Ringo Starr.

In 2003, he toured with Simon & Garfunkel in their ''Old Friends'' tour.

In 2004, he was one of the "Hot Licks" on Dan Hicks' ''Selected Shorts'' CD.

In 2006, he toured with T-Bone Burnett in '' The True False Identity'' tour and was featured on Jerry Lee Lewis's album '' Last Man Standing''. He played on Mavis Staples's album ''We'll Never Turn Back'', produced by Ry Cooder.

He also lent his drumming skills to the tracks on Richard Shapero's album entitled ''Wild Animus: The Ram'', recorded the same year.

In 2007, he appeared with Lucinda Williams on '' West''. The album was listed No. 18 on ''Rolling Stones list of the Top 50 Albums of 2007. He also played on Phish keyboardist's self titled debut album Page McConnell, released in 2007.

In 2008, Keltner appeared on '' Break up the Concrete'' by The Pretenders, on '' One Kind Favor'' by B. B. King and on Oasis

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